Chevrolet Races to Top of Most-Seen Auto Ads Chart

A Chevrolet spot promoting its Fourth of July sales event was the most-viewed car commercial from July 3-9, according to rankings compiled by iSpot.tv for WardsAuto.

The Chevy ad, which racked up the highest number of TV impressions across national television broadcasts during the period, showed “real people” test-driving models including the Impala Premiere on an empty race track. Customers were urged to join the fun and get a great deal on select ’17 models.

At No. 2 was GMC with a spot appealing to viewers’ aspirational side by asking how we want to live. Is it enough to be a decent person, or should we be aiming higher, to live “like a boss?” GMC says the ’17 Sierra 1500 is “professional grade” and built for those who reach for the skies.

Mitsubishi’s enduring spot for the ’17 Outlander and Outlander Sport is back on the charts (it has over 7,200 airings), this time in third place. The CUVs’ useful features such as third-row seating and all-wheel drive are touted by customer testimonials.

Chevy snags a second spot among the top-ranked ads with its No.4 commercial for the ’18 Equinox that once again uses “real people” (“not actors”) who get a chance to check out the CUV while waiting for their own car to be delivered by a valet. Comments range from a simple “This is beautiful” to the sad “I made a bad decision on my last car.”

Volvo closes out the chart with a sales-event promotion for the XC90 that showcases its award-winning interface, design and engine, making it “the most awarded luxury SUV of the century.” For a limited time this summer, customers can get special deals on select models.

iSpot.tv is a real-time TV ad measurement company with attention and conversion analytics from 10 million smart TV screens.

Data provided by

1. Chevrolet: 4th of July Sales Event: Enjoy the Ride

285,779,378 Impressions, 97.17 Attention Score, $3,027,552 Est. TV Spend

2. GMC: Like a Pro: All-Powerful

275,188,285 Impressions, 90.12 Attention Score, $1,666,634 Est. TV Spend

3. Mitsubishi: Fabric/3rd Row

252,528,014 Impressions, 88.14 Attention Score, $4,108,374 Est. TV Spend

4. Chevrolet: Valet

138,166,299 Impressions, 94.60 Attention Score, $2,913,435 Est. TV Spend

5. Volvo: Midsommar Sales Event: The Most Awarded Luxury SUV of the Century

134,007,445 Impressions, 94.16 Attention Score, $901,646 Est. TV Spend

TV Impressions - Total TV ad impressions delivered for the brand or spot.
Attention Score - Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.
Est. National TV Spend - Amount spent on TV airings for the brand’s spots.